Essential knots?

[Murv]

What knots do I need to know how to tie, small mobo used inshore and tidal rivers.

I've mastered the clove hitch, and can do a reasonable bowline, any others I need to know?

 

[Kwik Decision]

Round turn and two half hitches is both useful and easy - takes a bit longer to tie but is considerably more secure than a clove hitch. Sheet bend is good for tieing bits of rope together. Raggies use figure of 8 knots as stoppers on the ends of various lines, but I'm guessing there will be less call for them on a mobo.

 

[Salty John]

Here are a few thoughts. I use relatively few knots, some make an art form out of knot tying.
http://www.saltyjohn.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/knots.html

 

[Woodlouse]

Sounds like all you'll be needing to know is a bowline and how to tie off a cleat.

 

[VicS]

What knots do I need to know how to tie, small mobo used inshore and tidat rivers.

I've mastered the clove hitch, and can do a reasonable bowline, any others I need to know?

A To learn a few knots I suggest "Animated Knots by Grog" http://www.animatedknots.com/indexboating.php?LogoImage=LogoGrog.jpg&Website=www.animatedknots.com

Clove hitch, round turn and two half hitches. (Also learn how to do a clove hitch using the "threading the end" method

Bowline (also worth finding the quick way to tie rather than the rabbit running round the tree method

Sheet bend ( square knot aka reef knot best avoided as can easly capsize)

Cleat hitch .. but whenever possible drop bowline over a mooring cleat

Eyesplice worth being able to do

 

[Murv]

That's fabulous, thanks all.
I already have the animated knots app, and have started practicing, it's just sorting the "need to knows" from the "nice to knows" really

 

[prv]

it's just sorting the "need to knows" from the "nice to knows" really

Since you're in a motorboat, I guess the only thing you use lines for is mooring? In which case, bowline and round turn and two half hitches are probably all you really *need* to know. If one day you needed to fasten two ropes together (a tow rope, or an extra-long mooring line for some reason) you could tie a bowline in one of them and then another bowline through the loop with the other.

Oh, clove hitch for fenders, perhaps, though people seem to use all sorts of things for that.

Everything else is nice to know.

In the nice to know category, personally I find I use rolling hitches a lot, usually with a line around something and then hitched back onto itself. That lets me adjust position or tension easily.

If I were tying the towrope mentioned above, I would use a carrick bend - but most people find that rather esoteric.

It's worth making sure you can tie your bowline in various different situations, not just making a textbook loop in front of you. How about tying it around something else - imagine you're leaning off the boat tying a bowline onto a ring on a quay wall (never mind that a RT&THH might be a better choice there ) - it can be surprisingly hard for beginners to get their heads round that, even once they tell me they've got really good at doing bowlines

Pete

 

[Kelpie]

Second the comment about tying knots in different situations. You also need a lot of repetition so that muscular memory takes over.

I tied a old piece of rope to the towel rail in the bathroom... a little bit of practise every day tying knots is the way to do it...

 

[Murv]

Since you're in a motorboat, I guess the only thing you use lines for is mooring?
Pete

Not really sure yet Pete, just wanted to be a little forearmed with some knowledge before I start doing some training.
Of course it's quite possible I'll need no knot knowledge whatsoever!
Would be nice to know a few basics beyond my fishing and granny knot combo's though!

Thanks for your post, will certainly make a point of practicing in different orientations

 

[Murv]

Second the comment about tying knots in different situations. You also need a lot of repetition so that muscular memory takes over.

I tied a old piece of rope to the towel rail in the bathroom... a little bit of practise every day tying knots is the way to do it...

That's a good idea, thank you!
My Wife won't mind, the front room is currently full of fenders that I've been polishing, a bit of rope in the bathroom won't even show on the radar!

 

[Boathook]

The others have given a good list. I only use about 3 knots on my boat most of the time. A good idea is to look at other boats moored up and see what they use.

 

[dash300]

I would second the suggestion of the eye splice. Makes a neat job of connecting lines to fenders. Very theraputic as well.

 

[LittleSister]

You , also need to understand the basic advantages and disadvantages of each knot. For example, the bowline is a great and very useful knot, but virtually impossible to untie with a load on it. Best to know this before you find you need to release a straining mooring line, or whatever, and dearly wished you'd used a round turn and two half hitches (which can easily be undone under load)!

I'd say for basics - round turn and two half hitches; clove hitch; reef knot; bowline; sheet-bend; and rolling hitch would give you enough to cope with almost any situation. Then you could add to that in your own time, if you felt inclined, to do things more easily/neatly/better.

 

[Murv]

Good stuff, thanks all

I would second the suggestion of the eye splice. Makes a neat job of connecting lines to fenders. Very theraputic as well.

That's certainly one on my list, it just looks an enormously satisfying thing to be able to do!

 

[prv]

I'd say for basics - round turn and two half hitches; clove hitch; reef knot; bowline; sheet-bend; and rolling hitch would give you enough to cope with almost any situation.

A classic set

On Stavros we teach those plus the figure-8 and double sheet bend as the basic eight knots everybody should learn on their first trip. I think that might be an RYA-inspired list as we don't use figure-8s on the ship

Pete

 

[nigelmercier]

[eye splice] just looks an enormously satisfying thing to be able to do!

Even nicer if you can do it on braided line, for which you need a set of Selma Fids http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/B006MGDONG/dolcetto-21

 

[onesea]

You , also need to understand the basic advantages and disadvantages of each knot. For example, the bowline is a great and very useful knot, but virtually impossible to untie with a load on it. Best to know this before you find you need to release a straining mooring line, or whatever, and dearly wished you'd used a round turn and two half hitches (which can easily be undone under load)!

I'd say for basics - round turn and two half hitches; clove hitch; reef knot; bowline; sheet-bend; and rolling hitch would give you enough to cope with almost any situation. Then you could add to that in your own time, if you felt inclined, to do things more easily/neatly/better.

+ the figure of 8 and you have the set...

How to tie figure of 8:
Make a dollys head (Make a loop),
Strangle it (Wrap the rope round the back),
Poke its eye out (put the end through the loop).

Children never forget that one

 

[nigelmercier]

Bowline (also worth finding the quick way to tie rather than the rabbit running round the tree method ...

I guess I do the "round the tree method", although I'm not conscious of it, and being left-handed my boat chums can't follow what I do. "That's not a bowline!" they say, until they look at it.

I've seen the method where you tie a bowline round yourself, but never a "quick way". Would be interested to see it.

 

[prv]

I've seen the method where you tie a bowline round yourself, but never a "quick way". Would be interested to see it.

You lay the end across the standing part, then twist it around ending up with the rabbit and hole part already done. Easy to demonstrate, hard to explain.

I teach it to beginners this way from the start. Avoids the problem of putting the rabbit the wrong way through the loop so that it all collapses.

Pete

 

[paul.norton]

I guess I do the "round the tree method", although I'm not conscious of it, and being left-handed my boat chums can't follow what I do. "That's not a bowline!" they say, until they look at it.

I've seen the method where you tie a bowline round yourself, but never a "quick way". Would be interested to see it.

The "Quick Bowline" (for a right handed person):
Take the standing part in the left hand and the bitter end in the right.
Ensure there is sufficient rope between left and right hands to form the loop.
Move the right hand about one foot back from the bitter end.
Now lay the rope in your right hand over the rope in your left hand at about 90 degrees to each other.
Now with the right hand, twist the rope in the left hand so it forms a loop with the bitter end popping up through the loop (This is the rabbit hole and the rabbit popping out.)
Now take the bitter end around the standing part (The tree) and back through the loop (Rabbit hole)
Pull up tight and the bowline is complete..

Hope that makes sense.

Paul